Process of refrigerating and separating gaseous products



Feb. 13, 1934. 1,946,580'

PROCESS OF REFRIGERATING AND SEPAR'ATING GASEOUS PRODUCTS L. S. GREGORY Filed Sept. 4, 1931 ATToRNEr Patented Feb. 13, 1934 j l.

` UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PROCESS OF REFRIGERATING AND SEPA- RATING GASEQUS PRODUCTS Lon S. Gregory, Tulsa, Okla. Application September 4, 1931. Serial No. 561.296

` 2 claims. (ci. cs2-12s) My invention relates to a process of refrigeratdenser 17 to serve as a cooling medium for the ing and separating gaseous products, the princiuncondensed gases coming from. the primary pal object of the invention being to utilize the separator and, if found that4 this medium is inenergy of highly compressed gasesundergoing sufficient to properly cool said gases, an external 5- separation by expanding these gases tosupply cooling medium may be used in addition thereto. $0 a portion, at least, of the power required for After passingthrough the reux condenser the compressing the incoming gaseous feed, and to gas, known as the light fraction, leaves the sysuse the expanded vand cooled gases as a cooling tem through an outlet line 24 to be used for fuel medium for the condensers of the apparatus. or for other purposes.

In accomplishing this and other objects of my. The portion of gas condensing in the separator 65 invention, I have provided an improved system 19 is withdrawn from the lower end thereof andarrangement of apparatus, the preferred form through a pipe 25 by a pump 26 and is disof which is shown in the accompanying drawing, charged as a reflux back into the upperportion wherein the single figure illustrates a ow sheet of Athe primary separator through a conduit 27.

of a system embodying my invention. The heavy fraction of the feedis withdrawn 70.

Referring more in detail to the drawing: from the b ase of the primary separator and is 1 designates a feed supply line for conducting conducted through aline 28 to a cooler 29 and gaseous feed such as hydrocarbon vapors, impure from there to storage. Cooling medium for the carbon dioxide gas, etc. to the system, and is cooler 29 is preferably supplied by a cooling tower connected to aseparatorZ. Aline 3, communicat 30 connected in circuit with the cooler by a sup- 76 ing. with the upper end of the separator leads 'ply line 31 and discharge line 32, a pump 33 being to la. low stage 'cornpressori 'from which' the interposed'inthe-supply line.-

\ initially compressed gas is conducted by a pipe Water from the cooling tower. is also prefer- 5 to an intercooler 6. Leading from the inter-` ably used for cooling the intercooler 6 and is decooler is a line 7 connected to an intercooler livered thereto through afeed line 34 by the pump 80 30 feed.

'separator 8 provided near its lower end with an y33, and back to the cooling tower through a disoutlet line 9 through-which condensate -is drawn charge line 35. by a pump 10 and forced through a conduit 11 Steam may be used as a medium for supplying into a primary separator 12 as a part of the vpower to operate the pumps 10, 26, and 33, and

y also for heating the lower end of the primary sep- 85 Uncondensed `ga`s remaining-'in the'intercooler -arator as shown at 36. the steam conduitsbeing separator 8 passes from the upper end thereof Aindicated by the lines 37 f the drawing. through a pipe 13 `connecting said separator with Assuming a system to be arranged and cona high stage compressor 14, and is delivered in nected as described the highly compressed form to the primary separator be as follows:

at a point slightly above the inflowing condensate Rich gas, such as hydrocarbon vapors, impure through a line 15. 1 carbon dioxide gas, and the nke, is fed into the Leading from the Primary Separatprdient system through the met une 1 and delivered to ts upper end is a conduit 16 connected Wlth' a' `the rst separator where it is freed of sediment 40 reux condenser 17 wherein the uncondensed and heavy or Solid partic1es- The gas next passes 95 gas from the pnmary separator is partially-con' through the low stage-compressor into the interdensedin a mannery presently described, and cooler and is dischar ged into the intercooler from Wmch it 1s delivered through a pipe 18 um. separator where a portion of the gas may be cona I'Illeuirsizlldaesreggas under high pressure is fensed .Any condensate which is formqd'in the 100 withdrawn from the reflux separator 19 through IntercoM-ar separator may. be pumped mtfo the a back pressue regulator 20 interposed in a une. primary separator as a part of the feed whilethe 21 connected with the reux separator'adjacent @condensed gas is drawn'mto the, high Stag? its upper end and with an expander 22. While I compressor and conducted to the pnmary sepa have indicated an expander of the reciprocating mm1' as the remainder 0f the feed- The uncon" 106 type in the drawing it is obvious that other types densed gas f l'om the Primm Separator is de* of expanders ,may be used instead, as for exam.' liveredthrough the reflux condenser and into the ple, a turbine type of expander. i reilux vseparator 19. While passing through the From the expander the cooled expanded gas.v reflux condenser the gas is cooled by the uncon-4 is conducted through a pipe 23 to the reilux condensed gasl which is withdrawn from the sepa- 110 eration thereof would 2 l' rator 19 through the back pressure valve and passes through the expander. Power generated in the expander as a result of expansion of the gas may be used for any suitable purpose in the operation of the system, as for example to supply a portion of the power required for operating the compressors. v

CondensateY collecting in the separator 19l is delivered by the pump 26v back into the primary separator as reflux.

The expanded gas, after serving asa cooling medium. for the reiiux condenser, passes from the system as the light fraction and is used as fuel in case of a hydrocarbon feed, or wasted in case of an impure carbon dioxide feed or other impure gas feed. The heavy fraction is withdrawn from thefbase of the primary separator and, after being cooled in the cooler 29, is de livered to storage.

' From the foregoing it will be apparent that I have so combined a system of refrigeration with a system of separation that the high pressure gas is utilized for supplying power to assist in operation of the plant by means of the expander, and the expanded gas is used as a cooling medium for the condensers. In this manner I have accomplished a saving of power and cooling medium required for operating the plant, and a consequent saving of cost in operating systems of this character.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The process of refrigerating and separating gaseous products including initially compressing the gas, separating liquid and gaseous products of said initial compression, compressing the gaseous product of said separation, uniting the liquid products of initial separation and secondary compression, rectifying said united products, condensing and separating light ends of said united products, returning condensate of said light ends as reilux to the united lquidvproducts, expanding light ends of the last named separation, cooling the light ends of the united products with the product of said expansion, and

drawing off condensate of the united products.

2. The process of refrigerating and separating gaseous products including initially compressing the gas, separating liquid and gaseous products of said initial compression, compressing the gaseous product of said separation, uniting the liquid products of initial separation and secondary compression, rectifying -said united products, condensing and separating light ends of said united products, returning condensate of said .light ends as reflux to the united liquid products,

expanding light ends of the last named separation, converting the energy of said expansion to mechanical power, and drawing'off condensate of the united products.

, LON S. GREGORY. 

